DTVR Android SDK: Difference between revisions

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{{Breadcrumb|}} {{Breadcrumb|Digital}} {{Breadcrumb|DCR & DTVR}}  {{CurrentBreadcrumb}}
{{Breadcrumb|}} {{Breadcrumb|Digital}} {{Breadcrumb|US DCR & DTVR}}  {{CurrentBreadcrumb}}
[[Category:Digital]]
[[Category:Digital]]
== Overview ==
The Nielsen SDK is one of multiple framework SDKs that Nielsen provides to enable measuring linear (live) and on-demand TV viewing using TVs, mobile devices, etc.
The App SDK is the framework for mobile application developers to integrate Nielsen Measurement into their media player applications. It supports a variety of Nielsen Measurement Products like Digital in TV Ratings, Digital Content Ratings ([[DCR & DTVR]]), and [[Digital Ad Ratings]] (DAR). Nielsen SDKs are also equipped to measure static content and can track key life cycle events of an application like:
*Application launch events and how long app was running
*Time of viewing a sub section / page in the application.
If the content being played contains ID3 tags, when played on a mobile device or within a browser, these tags can be sent to Nielsen for collection/processing via the Nielsen SDK. 
<blockquote>
VOD in TV Ratings (formally knows as Recently Telecast VOD) support is now available; however, you must notify us to ensure accurate reporting.
</blockquote>


== Prerequisites ==
== Prerequisites ==
To start using the App SDK, the following items are required:
Before you start the integration, you will need:
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! style="width: 30px;" |
! style="width: 15%;" | Item
! style="width: 15%;" | Item
! Description
! Description
! Source
! Source
|-style="background-color:#d0f6f8;"
|| '''App ID (appid)''' || Unique ID assigned to the player/site and configured by product. || Provided by Nielsen
|-style="background-color:#d0f6f8;"
|| '''Nielsen SDK''' || Includes SDK frameworks and '''sample implementation'''; ''See [[Android SDK Release Notes]]'' || [[Special:Downloads|Download]]
|}
If need App ID(s) or our SDKs, feel free to reach out to us and we will be happy to help you get started.
Refer to [[Digital Measurement Onboarding]] guide for information on how to get a Nielsen App SDK and appid.
{{Android_Implementation}}
__TOC__
{{Android_Setting_Up_Development_Envrionment}}
{{Android_SDK_Initialization}}
== APP SDK Error & Event Codes ==
To view the Error and Event codes for iOS and Android, please review the [[APP SDK Event Codes|App SDK Event Code]] Reference page.
== Content Metadata and SDK Events ==
=== Content Metadata ===
Content metadata should remain constant throughout the completion of an episode or live stream.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
|| ☑ || '''App ID (appid)''' || Unique ID assigned to the player/site and configured by product. || Contact Nielsen
! Key !! Description !! Values !! Required
|-
|-
|| || '''sfcode''' || Environment that the SDK must point to || Contact Nielsen
| type || type of asset || "content" ||  
|-
| adModel || linear vs dynamic ad model || 1 = Linear  matches TV ad load      || ✓
|-
|-
|| ☑ || '''Nielsen SDK''' || Includes SDK libraries and '''sample implementation'''; ''See [[Android SDK Release Notes]]'' || [[Special:Downloads|Download]]
|}
|}
If you do not have any of these pre-requisites or if you have any questions, please contact our SDK sales support team.
Refer to [[Digital Measurement Onboarding]] for more information on how to get a Nielsen App SDK and appid.


== Import Library ==
<!--<syntaxhighlight lang="java">   
Refer to [[Android SDK API Reference#Setting Up Development Environment|Android SDK API Reference - Setting Up Development Environment]] for information on importing libraries.
    //Loading Channel Info.
* The latest version of App SDK allows instantiating multiple instances of App SDK object and can be used simultaneously without any issues.
    public JSONObject loadChannelInfo(){
<blockquote>Note: The latest version of App SDK contains only appsdk.jar file and does not feature any native shared libraries like libAppSdk.so.</blockquote>
        JSONObject channel = null;
        try {
        channel = new JSONObject()
                .put("channelName", "ChannelTitle");
        } catch (JSONException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
        return  channel;
    }
    </syntaxhighlight>
-->
------------------------
<syntaxhighlight lang="java">  
    public JSONObject loadDtvr() {
    try {
            dtvr = new JSONObject()
                    .put( "type","content")
                    .put("adModel", "1");
        }
        return dtvr;
    }
    </syntaxhighlight>


== Initialize SDK ==
=== SDK Events ===
Initialize App SDK as soon as the application is launched. Refer to [[Android SDK API Reference#Initialization|Android SDK API Reference - Initialization]] for details on initializing an AppSDK object and the parameters required.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Event !! Parameter !! Description
|-
| 'loadMetadata' || content/ad metadata object || Needs to be called at the beginning of each asset to pass type and adModel.
|-
|'play'||||Call when starting or resuming a streaming session. '''Note:''' Not required starting at SDK version 7.2.0 or higher.
|-
| 'sendID3' || Used to send the ID3 tag payload retrieved from the stream || Needs to be called at the beginning of playback
||
|-
| 'stop' || playhead position || Call when content or ads complete playing and pass playhead position
'''Note:'''no longer required for SDK version 7.2 or higher.
|}


== Configure and fire API calls ==
=== Configure API calls - play ===
=== Configure API calls - play ===
Call [[play()]] when starting or resuming a streaming session to pass the channel descriptor information through <code>channelName</code> parameter when the user taps the '''Play''' button on the player.
Call play at start of new stream:
* <code>channelName</code> is a 32-character free-form text field containing the name of the program or feed being sent (such as ESPN2, Food Network, etc.)
<syntaxhighlight lang="java">  appSdk.play();</syntaxhighlight>
Call [[play()]] with <code>channelName</code> JSON as below.
 
<syntaxhighlight lang="json">    {
'''Note:''' no longer required for SDK version 7.2 or higher.
      "channelName": "TheMovieTitle"
    }</syntaxhighlight>


=== Configure API calls - loadMetadata ===
=== Configure API calls - loadMetadata ===
Load the CMS metadata by calling [[loadMetadata|loadMetadata()]] on the SDK object.
Use <code>loadMetadata</code> to pass ‘content’ and ‘ad’ <code>Digital Measurement Metadata</code>. The CMS data must be passed as a JSON object.
<syntaxhighlight lang="swift">   loadMetadata(JSONObject jsonMetadata);</syntaxhighlight>
<syntaxhighlight lang="java"> appSdk.loadMetadata(data);</syntaxhighlight>
Refer to [[Digital Measurement Metadata]] for the list of parameters to be passed in the JSON object.
Call [[loadMetadata()]] for the content after the first [[play()]] call. Call [[loadMetadata()]] with JSON metadata for the active content as below.
<syntaxhighlight lang="json">   {
      "type": "content",
      "adModel": "1"
    }</syntaxhighlight>


=== Configure API calls - sendID3 ===
=== Configure API calls - sendID3 ===
[[sendID3()]] API is a receiver for HLS timed metadata events (ID3 tags) provided through the notification system. This API filters out Nielsen-specific ID3 tags from the system and buffers the data for transfer to Nielsen’s collection facility. Call [[sendID3()]] whenever new Nielsen ID3 metadata is available for processing during session playback.
[[sendID3]] API is a receiver for timed metadata events (ID3 tags. This API filters out Nielsen-specific ID3 tags from the system and buffers the data for transfer to Nielsen’s collection facility.
==== Sample ID3 tags ====
<syntaxhighlight lang="java"> //Sending ID3 tag to SDK.
appSdk.sendID3(id3String);</syntaxhighlight>
'''Sample ID3 tags'''
* <code>www.nielsen.com/X100zdCIGeIlgZnkYj6UvQ==/X100zdCIGeIlgZnkYj6UvQ==/AAAB2Jz2_k74GXSzx4npHuI_<wbr />JwJd3QSUpW30rDkGTcbHEzIMWleCzM-uvNOP9fzJcQMWQLJqzXMCAxParOb5sGijSV9dNM3QiBniJYGZ5GI-lL1fXTTN0IgZ4iWBmeRiPpS9AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFJWFM5SVhTONNU=/00000/00000/00</code>
* <code>www.nielsen.com/X100zdCIGeIlgZnkYj6UvQ==/X100zdCIGeIlgZnkYj6UvQ==/AAAB2Jz2_k74GXSzx4npHuI_<wbr />JwJd3QSUpW30rDkGTcbHEzIMWleCzM-uvNOP9fzJcQMWQLJqzXMCAxParOb5sGijSV9dNM3QiBniJYGZ5GI-lL1fXTTN0IgZ4iWBmeRiPpS9AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFJWFM5SVhTONNU=/00000/00000/00</code>
* <code>www.nielsen.com/X100zdCIGeIlgZnkYj6UvQ==/R8WHe7pEBeqBhu8jTeXydg==/AAICoyitYqlxT7n6aZ0oMCGhe<wbr />Fi4CXFp46AMUPZz1lMr_M9tr3_cjee1SHqxrOiVerMDLeyn9xzocZSKwi746Re8vNOtpNCAZjYABs_J0R25IHpvOc1HS8<wbr />QHGgD5TgOJeS6gX100zdCIGeIlgZnkYj6UvVJWFNhSVhTiPE0=/00000/46016/00</code>
* <code>www.nielsen.com/X100zdCIGeIlgZnkYj6UvQ==/R8WHe7pEBeqBhu8jTeXydg==/AAICoyitYqlxT7n6aZ0oMCGhe<wbr />Fi4CXFp46AMUPZz1lMr_M9tr3_cjee1SHqxrOiVerMDLeyn9xzocZSKwi746Re8vNOtpNCAZjYABs_J0R25IHpvOc1HS8<wbr />QHGgD5TgOJeS6gX100zdCIGeIlgZnkYj6UvVJWFNhSVhTiPE0=/00000/46016/00</code>
<blockquote>'''Note''': ID3 tags are not applicable for International (Germany)</blockquote>
Refer to [[Android SDK API Reference#Retrieving ID3 Tags|Retrieving ID3 Tags]] section to know more details.


Refer to [[Android SDK API Reference#Retrieving ID3 Tags|Android SDK API Reference - Retrieving ID3 Tags]] section to know more details.
===Configure API calls - stop ===
Call <code>stop</code> in case of interruptions during playback like flight mode, Wi-Fi toggle, etc.
<syntaxhighlight lang="java">[nielsenApi stop];</syntaxhighlight>
 
'''Note:''' no longer required for SDK version 7.2 or higher.
 
== Retrieving ID3 Tags ==
ID3 tags have a payload of about 249 characters and start with "www.nielsen.com".
 
===  Examples of extracting ID3 tags fromAndroid Native Media Player ===
As the Android Media Player versions (prior to Android 6 / Android API 23) do not support ID3, Nielsen has created a library that becomes an extension to the media player, thus MPX. This library extracts the ID3 tags and sends them to the app. For more information on how to use the MPX component, refer to the Nielsen-supplied sample application.
 
Starting from '''Android 6 (Android API 23)''', Android Native Media Player allows apps to register a callback to be invoked, when a selected track has the timed metadata available. Currently, only HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) data URI’s embedded with timed ID3 tags generate TimedMetadata. Once the HLS video starts, call onTimedMetaDataAvailable() as and when the player observes a TimedMetadata (ID3 tag).
 
<syntaxhighlight lang="java">@Override
    public void onTimedMetaDataAvailable(MediaPlayer mediaPlayer, TimedMetaData timedMetaData) {


===Configure API calls - stop ===
        if(timedMetaData != null && timedMetaData.getMetaData() != null && mMediaPlayer.isPlaying()){
Call [[stop()]] only when the stream playback is stopped by a user. Common events are; network loss, power / standby, incoming call, alarm, etc. Call [[stop()]] only when buffering continues for 30 seconds (not when it starts). Call [[play()]] when resuming a stream (previously stopped) or starting playback of a new stream.
 
            //getting metadata.
            String iD3Payload = new String(timedMetaData.getMetaData(), StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
 
            //If tag metadata contains "www.nielsen.com", then only sending to SDK
            if (null != iD3Payload && iD3Payload.contains("www.nielsen.com"))
            {
                //getting index
                int index = iD3Payload.indexOf("www.nielsen.com");
 
                //getting substring as ID3 tag will be of 249 characters
                String id3String = iD3Payload.substring(index, (index + 249));
                Log.d(TAG, "TimedMetaData ID3 Tag:" + id3String);


===Configure API calls - end ===
                //Sending ID3 tag to SDK.
Call [[end()]] only at the end of playback. Not mandatory if stream is live/does not end.
                appSdk.sendID3(id3String);
            }
        }
    }
}</syntaxhighlight>


==API Call sequence==
== Life cycle of SDK instance ==
===Use Case 1: Content has no Advertisements===
Life cycle of SDK instance includes four general states:
Call [[play()]] with <code>channelName</code> JSON as below:
# '''Initial state''' – The SDK is not initialized and hence, not ready to process playing information. Once the SDK is moved out of this state, it needs instantiation of the new SDK instance in order to get the instance in the '''Initial state'''.
<syntaxhighlight lang="json">   {
# '''Idle state''' – The SDK is initialized and is ready to process playing information. Once Initialized, the SDK instance is not processing any data, but is listening for the play event to occur.
        "channelName": "TheMovieTitle"
# '''Processing state''' – The SDK instance is processing playing information. The <code>'''play'''</code> call moves the SDK instance into this state. In this state, the SDK instance will be able to process the following calls.
    }</syntaxhighlight>
## <code>'''stop'''</code> – Call this API when the playback is paused, switches between content and ad (within the same content playback) or encounters interruptions.
## <code>'''end'''</code> – SDK instance exits from Processing state when this API is called.
# '''Disabled state''' – The SDK instance is disabled and is not processing playing information. SDK instance moves into this state in one of the following scenarios.
## Initialization fails
## <code>'''appDisableApi'''</code> is set to <code>true</code>   ''(This is testing purposes only. Not for User Opt-Out.)''


===Use Case 2: Content has linear (non-DAI) Advertisements===
<blockquote>'''Note:''' For API Version 5.1 and above, App SDK will fire data pings and continue measurement even after the user has opted out from Nielsen measurement on a device. The data ping will be marked as opted-out ping.
Call [[play()]] (for the first ad) with <code>channelName</code> JSON as below:
<syntaxhighlight lang="json">    {
        "channelName": "TheMovieTitle"
    }</syntaxhighlight>
Call [[loadMetadata()]] with JSON metadata for the active content as below:
<syntaxhighlight lang="json">    {
        "adModel": "1"
    }</syntaxhighlight>
Call [[sendID3()]] with ID3 payload
<syntaxhighlight lang="java">
    sendID3(payload)
</syntaxhighlight>


== Handling Foreground and Background states of App==
'''Note''': In case of any interruptions during playback due to alarm, calendar, call, flight mode, Wi-Fi toggle, channel change, etc., call </code>stop</code> to stop the measurement.


There are two ways of handling the foreground and background states of the client application.
== Handling Foreground and Background states ==
*Let App SDK handle the app states information (foreground / background) and use it, as necessary.
Foreground/Background state measurement is a requirement of Nielsen AppSDK implementation which is especially crucial for static measurement. It may be implemented in multiple ways for Android. This includes
*Capture app states through the application and trigger the corresponding API ([[appInForeground()]] or [[appInBackground()]]) upon every change of state. This allows Nielsen App SDK to know the app state.
* Enable the Nielsen SDK to measure background/foreground state by makingthe relevant update to the AndroidManifest.
* Integrate Nielsen’s SdkBgFgDetectionUtility class within your Custom Application Class.
* Custom implementation of the required methods within your application.


=== New devices (Android 4.0 and later versions) ===
=== ForeGround/Background Measurement via AndroidManifest ===
The simplest way to measure the app background/foreground state is to add the following application tag to the Manifest XML. Integrating this into the Manifest XML will enable the SDK to measure app state directly. This approach is supported for Android 4.0 and up only; it requires that the application class is not in use for some other purpose.
<syntaxhighlight lang="java">
<application android:name="com.nielsen.app.sdk.AppSdkApplication">
</syntaxhighlight>


'''Add ''application'' tag to Manifest XML file'''
=== Using the Android SdkBgFbDetectionUtility Class ===
When a client’s app supports only new devices (Android 4.0 and above) and the client has not implemented a custom Application class for some other purpose,
For developers who are already using the application class, it is recommended that background/foreground state is implemented using the [https://engineeringportal.nielsen.com/docs/Android_Background_Foreground SdkBgFgDetectionUtility class].  The  [https://engineeringportal.nielsen.com/docs/Android_Background_Foreground SdkBgFgDetectionUtility class] is compatible with Android 4+ and has been made available to Nielsen clients.
* Add the following entry (application tag) into the Manifest XML file to use SDK’s state detection feature.
<syntaxhighlight lang="xml">  <application android:name="com.nielsen.app.sdk.AppSdkApplication"></syntaxhighlight>
This is the custom Application class where the whole background detection implementation is done. No new permissions are required to change the properties in Manifest XML file.


=== Older devices (Android 4.0 or earlier version) ===
=== Manual Background/ForeGround State Management ===
In cases where the developer is not able to use the AndroidManifest.xml solution nor the Nielsen provided  [https://engineeringportal.nielsen.com/docs/Android_Background_Foreground SdkBgFgDetectionUtility class] the developer will need to manually identify the change of state through the application and call the respective API (appInForeground() or appInBackground()) to inform the SDK regarding the change of state from background to foreground or foreground to background.


Identify the change of state through the application and call the respective API ([[appInForeground()]] or [[appInBackground()]]) upon every change of state (foreground / background). The SDK will use this information to pass the app launch times, etc. to Collection facility.
The SDK is informed about app state using the below methods.
<syntaxhighlight lang="java">
<syntaxhighlight lang="java">
AppLaunchMeasurementManager.appInForeground(getApplicationContext());
AppLaunchMeasurementManager.appInForeground(getApplicationContext());
AppLaunchMeasurementManager.appInBackground(getApplicationContext());
AppLaunchMeasurementManager.appInBackground(getApplicationContext());
</syntaxhighlight>
</syntaxhighlight>
Within the lifecycle of individual activities, onResume() and onPause() are best suited to providing indication of the app state.
Correct measurement of the foreground/background state is crucial to Static App measurement within Nielsen Digital Content Ratings (DCR).


== Interruptions during playback ==
== Interruptions during playback ==
As part of integrating Nielsen App SDK with the player application, the Audio / Video app developer needs to handle the following possible interruption scenarios:
As part of integrating Nielsen App SDK with the player application, the Video app developer needs to handle the following possible interruption scenarios:
* Pause / Play
* Pause / Play
* Network Loss (Wi-Fi / Airplane / Cellular)
* Network Loss (Wi-Fi / Airplane / Cellular)
Line 117: Line 209:
* Unplugging of headphone
* Unplugging of headphone
In case of encountering one of the above interruptions, the player application needs to
In case of encountering one of the above interruptions, the player application needs to
* Call [[stop()]] immediately (except when content is buffering) and withhold sending ID3 events.
* Call [[stop]] immediately (except when content is buffering) and withhold sending playhead position.
* Start sending pings – [[loadMetadata()]] and [[sendID3()]] for the new viewing session, once the playback resumes.
 
Please see the [[Digital Measurement FAQ]] for more details
== Pre-Certification Checklists ==
After the application is ready to be sent for Nielsen Certification, please go through the [[Digital Pre-Certification Checklist App SDK]] and ensure the app behaves as expected, before submitting to Nielsen.
 
{{Template:Android_Privacy_and_Opt-Out}}
 
== Going Live ==
Following Nielsen testing, you will need to:
 
# '''Disable Debug Logging''': Disable logging by deleting <code>{nol_devDebug: 'DEBUG'}</code> from initialization call.
# '''Notify Nielsen''': Once you are ready to go live, let us know so we can enable you for reporting. We will not be able to collect or report data prior to receiving notification from you.


== Nielsen Measurement Opt-Out Implementation ==
== Sample Applications ==
As a global information and measurement leader, we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of the data we collect, process and use. Our digital measurement products are not used to identify the consumer in any way, but they help us and our clients measure and analyze how consumers engage with media across online, mobile and emerging technologies, and offer insights into consumer behavior.
The below sample applications have been designed to show the API's functionality and are broken into two distinct categories:
* When the app user wants to opt in or opt out of Nielsen measurement, a new dynamic page (with content string obtained from [[userOptOutURLString()]]) should be displayed.
* '''Basic''' - To show the functionality of the Nielsen API using a standard no-frills player.
** Use [[getOptOutStatus()]] to retrieve the device’s Opt-Out status.
** [[Android Basic example|Android Studio Example]]
* This Opt-out page should be displayed in a webview (within the app) and not in any external browser.
* Capture the user’s selection in this page and pass it to the SDK through [[userOptOut()]] for Nielsen to save the user’s preference.
* For more details, refer to [[Android SDK API Reference#Android Opt-Out Implementation|Android SDK API Reference - Android Opt-Out Implementation]] and Nielsen Digital Privacy.


== Testing an Implementation - App ==
* '''Advanced''' - Nielsen API integrated into a custom video player is contained in the ZIP package.
See [[Digital Measurement Testing]].

Latest revision as of 19:19, 9 June 2023

Engineering Portal / Digital / US DCR & DTVR / DTVR Android SDK

Overview

The Nielsen SDK is one of multiple framework SDKs that Nielsen provides to enable measuring linear (live) and on-demand TV viewing using TVs, mobile devices, etc. The App SDK is the framework for mobile application developers to integrate Nielsen Measurement into their media player applications. It supports a variety of Nielsen Measurement Products like Digital in TV Ratings, Digital Content Ratings (DCR & DTVR), and Digital Ad Ratings (DAR). Nielsen SDKs are also equipped to measure static content and can track key life cycle events of an application like:

  • Application launch events and how long app was running
  • Time of viewing a sub section / page in the application.

If the content being played contains ID3 tags, when played on a mobile device or within a browser, these tags can be sent to Nielsen for collection/processing via the Nielsen SDK.

VOD in TV Ratings (formally knows as Recently Telecast VOD) support is now available; however, you must notify us to ensure accurate reporting.

Prerequisites

Before you start the integration, you will need:

Item Description Source
App ID (appid) Unique ID assigned to the player/site and configured by product. Provided by Nielsen
Nielsen SDK Includes SDK frameworks and sample implementation; See Android SDK Release Notes Download

If need App ID(s) or our SDKs, feel free to reach out to us and we will be happy to help you get started. Refer to Digital Measurement Onboarding guide for information on how to get a Nielsen App SDK and appid.


Implementation

This guide covers implementation steps for Android Studio utilizing the Nielsen SDK for DCR.

SDK Flavor Description
Android Ad Version * Opt-In and Opt-Out functionality managed by Opt out of Ads Personlization setting on device. (Preferred approach)
* The Nielsen SDK will collect the Google Advertising ID unless the user Opts Out.
* If the Google Play Service is unavailable, (ie: Amazon and Huawei devices) the Nielsen sdk will secure the Android ID.
* There are 3 versions available starting with the Nielsen SDK 8.1.0.0.
Android No Ad Framework * Without the Ad Framework, the Nielsen SDK cannot read the Google Advertising ID, so will retrieve the AndroidID.
* The AndroidID is a 64-bit number (expressed as a hexadecimal string), unique to each combination of app-signing key, user and device.
* The developer is required to present the User Choice Opt Out page which is described in the Privacy Section.
Android SDK noID * This version of the Nielsen SDK is perfect for Kid apps, or where no ID is required.
* Please review the Opt Out Requirement.

How to obtain the NielsenAppApi

The Nielsen AppSDK can either be downloaded directly or can be integrated directly within an application through the use of Gradle. We recommend using the Gradle-based integration whenever possible to ensure you maintain the most recent changes and enhancements to the Nielsen libraries.

Setting up your Development Environment

Configuring Android Development Environment

  • The Nielsen App SDK (located in the Downloads section of the website) class is the primary application interface to the Nielsen App SDK on Android.
  • The Nielsen App SDK class is defined as the only public class belonging to the com.nielsen.app.sdk package.
  • The Nielsen App SDK can also be added via Artifact Repository.

Nielsen App SDK is compatible with Android OS versions 2.3+. Clients can control / configure the protocol to be used – HTTPS or HTTP to suit their needs.

The requirement for the Java AppSdk.jar library and the libAppSdk.so native library will depend on the type of host application that will make use of them.

  • For Video player applications
    • The Android OS hosting the App SDK should use a media player supporting HLS streaming (Android 3.0 and later will support it natively).
    • If the player application uses a 3rd party media player implementing its own HLS, then the minimum Android version will be limited to version 2.3, since the SDK depends on Google Play support to work properly.

Once SDK is downloaded ensure to unzip the Nielsen SDK and copy the AppSdk.jar in your app (Android Studio) libs folder, then right click the AppSdk.jar and select Add As Library. Ensure the AppSdk.jar file is added in 'build.grade (App Level) file.

  • App SDK 1.2 provides support for x86, mips, and armeabi-7a architecture.

Google Play Services

Add the Google Play Services in the project, Steps: Android Studio -> File -> Project Structure ->(In module selection) select App -> Dependencies (tab) -> Click "+" button and search for "*play-services*". Then select the most recent version of the play-services Artifact. Ensure it is added in build.gradle (App level) file

The following is required if target API level is set to 31 (Android 12) with the Ad Version of the Nielsen SDK.

<uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID"/>


Manifest File

  • Add the following permissions on the project’s AndroidManifest.xml file.
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/>

For more details to handle runtime permissions in Android versions, please visit [1].

  • In AndroidManifest.xml under <application> add the following metadata
<meta-data 
android:name="com.google.android.gms.version" 
android:value="@integer/google_play_services_version"/>
  • App SDK checks to see if there is a Google service available and updated.
  • If not available or updated, App SDK will not use this service when executing its functions and will make reference to missing imports and the app will not be compiled.

Library

Nielsen App SDK uses the following packages/classes from the Google Play service.

  • google-play-services_lib

Classes/package

  • com.google.android.gms.ads.identifier.AdvertisingIdClient;
  • com.google.android.gms.ads.identifier.AdvertisingIdClient.Info;
  • com.google.android.gms.common.ConnectionResult;
  • com.google.android.gms.common.GooglePlayServicesUtil;
  • com.google.android.gms.common.GooglePlayServicesRepairableException;
  • com.google.android.gms.common.GooglePlayServicesNotAvailableException;

SDK Initialization

The latest version of the Nielsen App SDK allows instantiating multiple instances of the SDK object, which can be used simultaneously without any issue. The sharedInstance API that creates a singleton object was deprecated prior to version 5.1.1. (Version 4.0 for Android)

The following table contains the list of arguments that can be passed via the AppInfo JSON schema.

Parameter / Argument Description Source Required? Example
appid Unique Nielsen ID for the application. The ID is a GUID data type. If you did not receive your App ID, let us know and we will provide you. Nielsen-specified Yes PXXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX
nol_devDebug Enables Nielsen console logging. Only required for testing Nielsen-specified Optional "DEBUG"

Debug flag for development environment

Player application developers / integrators can use Debug flag to check whether an App SDK API call made is successful. To activate the Debug flag, Pass the argument @"nol_devDebug":@"INFO", in the JSON string . The permitted values are:

  • INFO: Displays the API calls and the input data from the application (validate player name, app ID, etc.). It can be used as certification Aid.
  • WARN: Indicates potential integration / configuration errors or SDK issues.
  • ERROR: Indicates important integration errors or non-recoverable SDK issues.
  • DEBUG: Debug logs, used by the developers to debug more complex issues.

Once the flag is active, it logs each API call made and the data passed. The log created by this flag is minimal.

Note: DO NOT activate the Debug flag in a production environment.

Sample SDK Initialization Code

AppSDK() is no longer a singleton object and should be initialized as below.

Initialization of App SDK object through a JSON object

try
{
  // Prepare AppSdk configuration object (JSONObject)
  JSONObject appSdkConfig = new JSONObject()
          .put("appid", "PDA7D5EE6-B1B8-XXXX-XXXX-2A788BCXXXCA")
          .put("nol_devDebug", "DEBUG"); // only for debug builds

// Pass appSdkConfig to the AppSdk constructor
mAppSdk = new AppSdk(appContext, appSdkConfig, appSdkListener);
}
catch (JSONException e)
{
  Log.e(TAG, "Couldn’t prepare JSONObject for appSdkConfig", e);
}

Here, appContext is the App context object and appSdkConfig is JSON object for holding the parameters (appid) the App passes to the Nielsen App SDK via a JSON string. The appid is obtained from Nielsen operational support and is unique to the app.


The integration of Nielsen App SDK will depend on type of client app.

  • Ensure that SDK files (AppSdk.jar and libAppSdk.so [App SDK 1.2 Only]) are included under the App’s project and the App SDK is linked to the App (the setting to link App SDK to the App can be found on property page of the App’s project).

Initializing Viewability and Audibility Measurement

If your Nielsen integration will be enabled for viewability/audibility measurement, your app should call trackViewability after initializing the SDK (previous paragraphs).

Viewability metrics allow AppSDK to track the visibility of the player and collect information about how much of the player container is visible to the end user during playback. Audibility metrics report on the device volume level.

The viewability pings will be fired following the same rules as measurement pings. Viewability pings will be POST requests, not GET requests like other data pings. POST body for viewability requests will contain the key-value pairs in JSON format. The key parameters in the URL schemes are invs, inau, inss, invp and ines which will contain the collected viewability data. This data will be formatted according to the specific rules so that downstream it will be possible to match measurement and viewability data for a session.

Audibility metrics will capture the volume level as well as mute/unmute state of the device during playback.

Calling trackViewability for player view

Input Parameters

Parameter Description
data JSONObject object with the following objects and keys:
viewTag (mandatory) value of String type, tag identifier for the target player view object. This tag can be assigned for the player view either programmatically or in the layout xml, as explained in above section.
viewContainer (mandatory) Reference to the activity object. It is needed to identify and search the target player view in current visible screen. This parameter can not be nil. This should be the current activity object where target view is loaded. If the player view is rendered in a fragment, please provide the parent activity reference of the fragment.
friendlyObstructions (optional) an array of tags of the views which should be ignored during the intersection ratio calculation. Those are views like loading activity indicator, player controls, view with a watermark, etc. which are displayed in front of the target view, but should not reduce the viewability intersection ratio. The tags of such should be wrapped into the String objects before adding into the array. This parameter is nullable, empty array is also accepted.


Syntax


void  trackViewability(JSONObject);

Usage Example

String targetViewTag = targetView.getTag().toString();
String activityObj = MainActivity.this;
JSONArray friendlyTags = new JSONArray();
friendlyTags.put("friendlyViewTag1");
friendlyTags.put("friendlyViewTag2");

JSONObject json = new JSONObject();
json.put("viewContainer", activityObj);
json.put("viewTag", targetViewTag);
json.put("friendlyObstructions", friendlyTags);
sdkInstance.trackViewability(json);


PlayerScreen ViewContainer-ViewTag-FriendlyViews.png

Setting tag for a player view in layout xml


<SurfaceView
   android:id="@+id/playerView"
   android:tag="playerViewTag"           
   android:layout_width="match_parent"
   android:layout_height="match_parent"
/>

Setting tag for a player view in Activity/Fragment


mPlayerView = (SurfaceView) findViewById(R.id.playerView);
mPlayerView.setTag("playerViewTag");


Data Collected

Parameter Description
Measured Value Value is different for different request parameters:
invs Intersection ratio for the target view in percent (from 0 to 100). Default threshold for this value is 5. Example: [50,1,1528457356,10]
inau Volume level on the device in percent (from 0 to 100), where 0 - mute, 100 - max volume level. Default threshold for this value is 1. Example: [30,1,1528457356,10]
inss Device screen size as "WxH", where W - is width in pixels, H - is height in pixels. Example: ["1024x768",1,1528457356,10]
invp Current window size. This is different than the device screen size in a multiple scene mode or on a desktop. Format is "WxH", where W - is width in pixels, H - is height in pixels. Example: ["800x600",1,1528457356,10]
ines Player view size as "WxH", where W - is width in pixels, H - is height in pixels. Example: ["300x200",1,1528457356,10]
Start offset Value contains the first playhead or the first id3 offset with non-null CID after start, flush or resume. Example playhead: [50,1,1528457356,10]. Example id3 offset: [50,70100,1528457356,10]
Start timestamp Timestamp value when the time period related to this time series item was started. Example: [50,1,1528457356,10]
Duration Duration value is calculated as a difference between the last playhead and the first playhead for the current time series item. Example: [50,1,1528457356,10]


APP SDK Error & Event Codes

To view the Error and Event codes for iOS and Android, please review the App SDK Event Code Reference page.

Content Metadata and SDK Events

Content Metadata

Content metadata should remain constant throughout the completion of an episode or live stream.

Key Description Values Required
type type of asset "content"
adModel linear vs dynamic ad model 1 = Linear matches TV ad load

   
    public JSONObject loadDtvr() {
     try {
            dtvr = new JSONObject()
                    .put( "type","content")
                    .put("adModel", "1");
        }
        return dtvr;
    }

SDK Events

Event Parameter Description
'loadMetadata' content/ad metadata object Needs to be called at the beginning of each asset to pass type and adModel.
'play' Call when starting or resuming a streaming session. Note: Not required starting at SDK version 7.2.0 or higher.
'sendID3' Used to send the ID3 tag payload retrieved from the stream Needs to be called at the beginning of playback
'stop' playhead position Call when content or ads complete playing and pass playhead position

Note:no longer required for SDK version 7.2 or higher.

Configure API calls - play

Call play at start of new stream:

  appSdk.play();

Note: no longer required for SDK version 7.2 or higher.

Configure API calls - loadMetadata

Use loadMetadata to pass ‘content’ and ‘ad’ Digital Measurement Metadata. The CMS data must be passed as a JSON object.

 appSdk.loadMetadata(data);

Configure API calls - sendID3

sendID3 API is a receiver for timed metadata events (ID3 tags. This API filters out Nielsen-specific ID3 tags from the system and buffers the data for transfer to Nielsen’s collection facility.

 //Sending ID3 tag to SDK.
appSdk.sendID3(id3String);

Sample ID3 tags

  • www.nielsen.com/X100zdCIGeIlgZnkYj6UvQ==/X100zdCIGeIlgZnkYj6UvQ==/AAAB2Jz2_k74GXSzx4npHuI_JwJd3QSUpW30rDkGTcbHEzIMWleCzM-uvNOP9fzJcQMWQLJqzXMCAxParOb5sGijSV9dNM3QiBniJYGZ5GI-lL1fXTTN0IgZ4iWBmeRiPpS9AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFJWFM5SVhTONNU=/00000/00000/00
  • www.nielsen.com/X100zdCIGeIlgZnkYj6UvQ==/R8WHe7pEBeqBhu8jTeXydg==/AAICoyitYqlxT7n6aZ0oMCGheFi4CXFp46AMUPZz1lMr_M9tr3_cjee1SHqxrOiVerMDLeyn9xzocZSKwi746Re8vNOtpNCAZjYABs_J0R25IHpvOc1HS8QHGgD5TgOJeS6gX100zdCIGeIlgZnkYj6UvVJWFNhSVhTiPE0=/00000/46016/00

Refer to Retrieving ID3 Tags section to know more details.

Configure API calls - stop

Call stop in case of interruptions during playback like flight mode, Wi-Fi toggle, etc.

[nielsenApi stop];

Note: no longer required for SDK version 7.2 or higher.

Retrieving ID3 Tags

ID3 tags have a payload of about 249 characters and start with "www.nielsen.com".

Examples of extracting ID3 tags fromAndroid Native Media Player

As the Android Media Player versions (prior to Android 6 / Android API 23) do not support ID3, Nielsen has created a library that becomes an extension to the media player, thus MPX. This library extracts the ID3 tags and sends them to the app. For more information on how to use the MPX component, refer to the Nielsen-supplied sample application.

Starting from Android 6 (Android API 23), Android Native Media Player allows apps to register a callback to be invoked, when a selected track has the timed metadata available. Currently, only HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) data URI’s embedded with timed ID3 tags generate TimedMetadata. Once the HLS video starts, call onTimedMetaDataAvailable() as and when the player observes a TimedMetadata (ID3 tag).

@Override
    public void onTimedMetaDataAvailable(MediaPlayer mediaPlayer, TimedMetaData timedMetaData) {

        if(timedMetaData != null && timedMetaData.getMetaData() != null && mMediaPlayer.isPlaying()){

            //getting metadata.
            String iD3Payload = new String(timedMetaData.getMetaData(), StandardCharsets.UTF_8);

            //If tag metadata contains "www.nielsen.com", then only sending to SDK
            if (null != iD3Payload && iD3Payload.contains("www.nielsen.com"))
            {
                //getting index
                int index = iD3Payload.indexOf("www.nielsen.com");

                //getting substring as ID3 tag will be of 249 characters
                String id3String = iD3Payload.substring(index, (index + 249));
                Log.d(TAG, "TimedMetaData ID3 Tag:" + id3String);

                //Sending ID3 tag to SDK.
                appSdk.sendID3(id3String);
            }
        }
    }
}

Life cycle of SDK instance

Life cycle of SDK instance includes four general states:

  1. Initial state – The SDK is not initialized and hence, not ready to process playing information. Once the SDK is moved out of this state, it needs instantiation of the new SDK instance in order to get the instance in the Initial state.
  2. Idle state – The SDK is initialized and is ready to process playing information. Once Initialized, the SDK instance is not processing any data, but is listening for the play event to occur.
  3. Processing state – The SDK instance is processing playing information. The play call moves the SDK instance into this state. In this state, the SDK instance will be able to process the following calls.
    1. stop – Call this API when the playback is paused, switches between content and ad (within the same content playback) or encounters interruptions.
    2. end – SDK instance exits from Processing state when this API is called.
  4. Disabled state – The SDK instance is disabled and is not processing playing information. SDK instance moves into this state in one of the following scenarios.
    1. Initialization fails
    2. appDisableApi is set to true (This is testing purposes only. Not for User Opt-Out.)

Note: For API Version 5.1 and above, App SDK will fire data pings and continue measurement even after the user has opted out from Nielsen measurement on a device. The data ping will be marked as opted-out ping.

Note: In case of any interruptions during playback due to alarm, calendar, call, flight mode, Wi-Fi toggle, channel change, etc., call stop to stop the measurement.

Handling Foreground and Background states

Foreground/Background state measurement is a requirement of Nielsen AppSDK implementation which is especially crucial for static measurement. It may be implemented in multiple ways for Android. This includes

  • Enable the Nielsen SDK to measure background/foreground state by makingthe relevant update to the AndroidManifest.
  • Integrate Nielsen’s SdkBgFgDetectionUtility class within your Custom Application Class.
  • Custom implementation of the required methods within your application.

ForeGround/Background Measurement via AndroidManifest

The simplest way to measure the app background/foreground state is to add the following application tag to the Manifest XML. Integrating this into the Manifest XML will enable the SDK to measure app state directly. This approach is supported for Android 4.0 and up only; it requires that the application class is not in use for some other purpose.

<application android:name="com.nielsen.app.sdk.AppSdkApplication">

Using the Android SdkBgFbDetectionUtility Class

For developers who are already using the application class, it is recommended that background/foreground state is implemented using the SdkBgFgDetectionUtility class. The SdkBgFgDetectionUtility class is compatible with Android 4+ and has been made available to Nielsen clients.

Manual Background/ForeGround State Management

In cases where the developer is not able to use the AndroidManifest.xml solution nor the Nielsen provided SdkBgFgDetectionUtility class the developer will need to manually identify the change of state through the application and call the respective API (appInForeground() or appInBackground()) to inform the SDK regarding the change of state from background to foreground or foreground to background.

The SDK is informed about app state using the below methods.

AppLaunchMeasurementManager.appInForeground(getApplicationContext());
AppLaunchMeasurementManager.appInBackground(getApplicationContext());

Within the lifecycle of individual activities, onResume() and onPause() are best suited to providing indication of the app state.


Correct measurement of the foreground/background state is crucial to Static App measurement within Nielsen Digital Content Ratings (DCR).

Interruptions during playback

As part of integrating Nielsen App SDK with the player application, the Video app developer needs to handle the following possible interruption scenarios:

  • Pause / Play
  • Network Loss (Wi-Fi / Airplane / Cellular)
  • Call Interrupt (SIM or Third party Skype / Hangout call)
  • Alarm Interrupt
  • Content Buffering
  • Device Lock / Unlock (Video players only, not for Audio players)
  • App going in the Background/Foreground (Video players only, not for Audio players)
  • Channel / Station Change Scenario
  • Unplugging of headphone

In case of encountering one of the above interruptions, the player application needs to

  • Call stop immediately (except when content is buffering) and withhold sending playhead position.

Pre-Certification Checklists

After the application is ready to be sent for Nielsen Certification, please go through the Digital Pre-Certification Checklist App SDK and ensure the app behaves as expected, before submitting to Nielsen.

Privacy and Opt-Out

There are currently 3 flavors of the Nielsen SDK:

  1. Global Android SDK Opt-out - managed by Opt out of Ads Personalization setting on device (preferred approach).
  2. Global Android SDK No Ad Framework Optout - Direct call to SDK. Can be used without Google Play Services or when using the noAd version of the SDK.
  3. Global Android SDK No ID Optout - Direct call to SDK. Should be used for Kids Category.

Global Android SDK Opt-out

OS-level Opt-out method available on Nielsen Android when the Google Play services APIs have been setup in your project.

The Nielsen SDK automatically leverages the Android's Opt out of Ads Personalization setting. The user is opted out of demographic measurement if the OS-level Opt out of Ads Personalization setting is enabled. As a publisher, you cannot override this setting.

Webview Element

It is a requirement to display a WebView element whose loadUrl is set to the value obtained from optOutURL. If using the Global Android SDK, this optOutURL informs the user how to deactivate/activate “Out of Ads Personalization”.

If you are implementing on Android TV or Fire TV here are your Opt Out verbiage options : https://engineeringportal.nielsen.com/docs/DCR_Video_%26_Static_CTV_Device_SDK_Privacy

Retrieve current Opt-Out preference

Whether the user is opted out via OS-level Opt-out or via App-level Opt-out, the current Opt-Out status as detected by the SDK is available via the getOptOutStatus() property in the Nielsen Android SDK API. appSdk.getOptOutStatus()

Global Android SDK No Ad Framework Optout

The No Ad Framework Optout can be used when the host application does not leverage Google Play Services such as when using the noAd version or the NoID version.

Nielsen Android SDK 5.1.1.18 and above will check for OS-level opt-out first, if available. The user will be opted out if indicated at the OS-level OR the App-level.

The No Ad Framework Optout method works as follows:

  • Get the current Nielsen opt-out URL via userOptOutURLString()
  • Display a WebView element whose loadUrl is set to the value obtained from userOptOutURLString()
  • Detect if the WebView URL changes to a special URL that indicates Opt-in, or Opt-out and close the WebView
    • Opt-out if the WebView URL = nielsenappsdk://1
    • Opt-in if the WebView URL = nielsenappsdk://0
  • Pass the detected URL to the userOptOut() function
    • Example:
      appSdk.userOptOut("nielsenappsdk://1");  // User opt-out
      

Global Android SDK No ID Optout (Kids_Category)

If you are building an app that will be listed in the Kids Category:

  1. Ensure that you are using the NoID version of the Nielsen SDK Framework.
  2. Immediately following the initialization of the Nielsen SDK ensure you call the userOptOut API with Opt out selection:
appSdk.userOptOut("nielsenappsdk://1");  // User opt-out

OptOut Example Code

Below you will find some sample code for the:

  • Global Android SDK - managed by Opt out of Ads Personalization setting on device (preferred approach).
  • Global Android noAd Framework - Use if Google Play APIs are unavailable or running noAd version.
  • It is currently not required to display an OptOut page for the NoID/Kids Build of the SDK.

Global OptOut Example

The below code is an AndroidX example of displaying the Nielsen Privacy page to the user. Please see the next section if using the No Ad Framework build

public class OptOutActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements IAppNotifier {

    WebView webView;
    AppSdk appSdk;

    @Override
    public void onCreate(@Nullable Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_optout);
        webView = (WebView) findViewById(R.id.webView);
        webView.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true);

        webView.setWebViewClient(new WebViewClient() {
            @SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
            @Override
            public void onReceivedError(WebView view, int errorCode, String description, String failingUrl) {
                Toast.makeText(OptOutActivity.this, description, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            }
            @TargetApi(android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.M)
            @Override
            public void onReceivedError(WebView view, WebResourceRequest req, WebResourceError rerr) {
                // Redirect to deprecated method, so you can use it in all SDK versions
                onReceivedError(view, rerr.getErrorCode(), rerr.getDescription().toString(), req.getUrl().toString());
            }

        });
        String url = appSdk.userOptOutURLString();   // Request Optout URL from NielsenSDK
        webView.loadUrl(url);                         //Display to the user in a Webview
    }
    @Override
    public void onBackPressed() {
        super.onBackPressed();
        mSdkInterface.getSDK(appSdk);
    }
    @Override
    protected void onDestroy() {
        super.onDestroy();
        if (appSdk != null)
        {
            appSdk.close();
            appSdk = null;
        }
    }
}


No Ad Framework Optout Sample Code

The below code is an AndroidX example of displaying the Nielsen Privacy page to the user with the No Ad Framework SDK Build.

public class OptOutActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements IAppNotifier {

    WebView webView;
    AppSdk appSdk;

    @Override
    public void onCreate(@Nullable Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_optout);
        webView = (WebView) findViewById(R.id.webView);
        webView.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true);

        webView.setWebViewClient(new WebViewClient() {
            @SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
            @Override
            public void onReceivedError(WebView view, int errorCode, String description, String failingUrl) {
                Toast.makeText(OptOutActivity.this, description, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            }
            @TargetApi(android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.M)
            @Override
            public void onReceivedError(WebView view, WebResourceRequest req, WebResourceError rerr) {
                // Redirect to deprecated method, so you can use it in all SDK versions
                onReceivedError(view, rerr.getErrorCode(), rerr.getDescription().toString(), req.getUrl().toString());
            }

  
            @Override
            public boolean shouldOverrideUrlLoading(WebView view, String url) {

                if(url.contains("nielsen")){
                    // If url value = "nielsenappsdk://1 it means the user selected Opt Out
                    // If url value = "nielsenappsdk://0" it means the user selected Opt-In
                    appSdk.userOptOut(url);
                }
                return true;
            }

        });
        String url = appSdk.userOptOutURLString();   // Request Optout URL from NielsenSDK
        webView.loadUrl(url);                         //Display to the user in a Webview
    }
    @Override
    public void onBackPressed() {
        super.onBackPressed();
        mSdkInterface.getSDK(appSdk);
    }
    @Override
    protected void onDestroy() {
        super.onDestroy();
        if (appSdk != null)
        {
            appSdk.close();
            appSdk = null;
        }
    }
}

Retrieve current Opt-Out preference

Whether the user is opted out via OS-level Opt-out or via App-level Opt-out, the current Opt-Out status as detected by the SDK is available via the getOptOutStatus() property in the Nielsen Android SDK API. appSdk.getOptOutStatus()

Going Live

Following Nielsen testing, you will need to:

  1. Disable Debug Logging: Disable logging by deleting {nol_devDebug: 'DEBUG'} from initialization call.
  2. Notify Nielsen: Once you are ready to go live, let us know so we can enable you for reporting. We will not be able to collect or report data prior to receiving notification from you.

Going Live

Following Nielsen testing, you will need to:

  1. Disable Debug Logging: Disable logging by deleting {nol_devDebug: 'DEBUG'} from initialization call.
  2. Notify Nielsen: Once you are ready to go live, let us know so we can enable you for reporting. We will not be able to collect or report data prior to receiving notification from you.

Sample Applications

The below sample applications have been designed to show the API's functionality and are broken into two distinct categories:

  • Basic - To show the functionality of the Nielsen API using a standard no-frills player.
  • Advanced - Nielsen API integrated into a custom video player is contained in the ZIP package.